


Of birds and rabbits

by RowanAndWitchcraft



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Language, F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22281682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanAndWitchcraft/pseuds/RowanAndWitchcraft
Summary: "In hindsight, she found that she had always loved Marco."A modern AU with a (sort of) reader insert, just because.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Original Character(s), Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Reader
Comments: 23
Kudos: 105





	1. The one with the kitchen shenanigans

“Hey, Marco. Have you seen Rabbit?”

The blond rose his blue gaze from his phone.

“Actually, yes, I have. She asked me to tell you not to come near her for the rest of the day ~yoi.”

“Ow, come on, man! This time it isn’t even my fault she’s mad at me!”

Marco lifted a very little impressed eyebrow.

“It isn’t?”

“Uh, no” was Ace’s answer, as if it was an obvious statement. “It was Luffy’s.”

The man rolled his eyes quietly before immersing himself in his newspaper. It was the second time that day ‒he had already read it from top to bottom‒ but he had nothing better to do at the moment. He had been waiting for a call from Pops so he could take care of some important business, but so far, his phone had remained silent.

“You always say that ~yoi. If it was my food that kept disappearing randomly from the fridge, I would’ve kicked you out a long time ago.”

Ace slumped in the chair opposite his, banging his head against the table in a very dramatic gesture.

“Dude, you’re so cruel. I’m telling you, it wasn’t me ‒this time,” he had the gall to look offended. “And she went full psycho on me, Marco. She started throwing all kind of things at my head.”

The tiny smile on Marco’s face seemed to say, ‘ _Serves you right_ ’. The younger man didn’t like it one bit but didn’t comment on that.

Both men kept to their own thoughts for a while, silently making each other company. Ace was still pouting, expression sad like a lost puppy’s, while Marco’s eyes roamed the news on the paper.

The phone on the surface of the kitchen table suddenly went off with an incoming call. It didn’t make a sound, but the screen lit up like a firework in the night. The caller’s ID was a simple word, and Marco didn’t waste a moment picking up. After a few rounds of short questions and even shorter answers, the blond hung up and started heading out of the room.

“I’m gonna head out to Pops’ place now” said he from somewhere near the door. “You can crash here if you want, but no raiding the fridge ~yoi.”

Ace’s face was like Christmas.

“You’re a lifesaver, man!”

A dinging sound came from the entrance, just a few seconds before a blond tuft of hair appeared at the threshold.

“I’m serious ~yoi.”

The freckled man held a hand to his heart at the same time he flashed his most charming smile, the one he reserved for when he wanted to get out of serious trouble.

“Scout’s word!”

Marco hummed, unconvinced. Too many years taking care of Ace had taught him enough about the brunet’s mischievous nature, but he really had to go, or he’d be late. He resolved to just let it be. He could always beat his crap if he came home to an empty pantry.

Ace stood and watched his brother close the door of the apartment behind him. Marco was too serious for his own good, that was for sure. Although he could be playful, and certainly didn’t hold back whenever the opportunity to tease presented itself, there was this perpetual collected aura of responsibility around him. Just so different from himself, or any of their brothers ‒except, maybe, Izō. But he had his hands full with Thatch most of the time, so a stroke in the near future had to be kept in the range of possibility.

Certainly, he wasn’t anything like Rabbit. Marco could threaten him about kicking hm out, but if things came down to it, the worst he would kick would be his ass. He wasn’t heartless, not like her. The woman could appear calm and sweet from the outside, but a little wrong press of her buttons could make the world around her go into apocalypse.

_‘Who cares so much about stupid hummus, anyway? I don’t even like the stuff, but Luffy swallowed it all in one go’._

The fact that he was paying for his little brother’s misbehaviour didn’t make him feel any better. Clearly, Sabo had been the smartest one when he said he preferred to live alone. Since Luffy had entered college, though, he was stuck with him. But that was still better than having a roommate with an almost non-existent fuse.

Ace plopped down on Marco’s sofa. It was big enough for his frame, and the grey cushions were firm, but soft. He kicked out his shoes, not caring much for where they ended up, and crossed his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

_‘I wonder if she will be any calmer now… Man, this sucks.’_

It was his last thought before his eyelids closed.

.

∞

.

The next time Ace opened his eyes, the living room was illuminated by the sunlight that entered through the windows.

How long had he been asleep? It looked like it was morning, but he couldn’t be sure about the time.

The sound of the front door closing made him startle. So that was what had woken him up ‒the keys in the lock?

“You didn’t take the bed ~yoi?”

The freckled man took his time rubbing his eyes before answering.

“Figured you would want it when you got back from Pops’. You spent the night there?”

Marco shrugged his jacket off. He was wearing a short-sleeved purple shirt, and ‒for a change‒ it was actually buttoned up. ‘ _Strange_.’

“I did, actually. There were many things to discuss ~yoi. You know you could have slept in Thatch’s bed, don’t you?”

Ace murmured something under his breath that Marco didn’t quite catch.

“Come again ~yoi?”

“I didn’t think about it.”

Marco smiled to himself while quietly slipping into the kitchen. A cup of coffee was exactly what he needed before he had to get started with paperwork. He had a long Saturday ahead of him, so there was no time to waste.

“By the way ~yoi, I saw Sabo last night. He asked me to remind you that he’ll be coming to get you by 12:00.”

A noise could be heard from the living room. Marco gathered that Ace had toppled from the sofa to the floor. Most probably, he had forgotten about the meeting with their brother. Soon enough, he appeared by his side, shoes in hand and hair dishevelled. The sleep had faded from his expression completely ‒he looked panicked now.

“Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap. Rabbit better have forgiven me by now, I have to go home! Fuckin’ Christ…”

A somewhat long string of curses could be heard until the door was slammed, and the apartment was silent once again. Enjoying the peace and the sour smell drifting from the steaming coffee-maker, Marco sat back against the counter, a relaxed smile playing with his features.

“I’m sure she has ~yoi.”

It was going to be a long day, but it hadn’t started half bad. It was only 9:00 in the morning, after all.

.

∞

.

“And don’t fucking come back without the food you owe me!”

She didn’t give the felon time to retort as she slammed the door in his freckled face.

Ace certainly could be a handful sometimes.

She let out a huge huff of breath, trying to calm herself down. Maybe she had been a little too abrupt, but the fucker had had it coming. It was the second time that month that he ate all her food, and yesterday she had found his dirty underwear all over her clean clothes. And the day before, there had been a huge mess in the living room that involved several bags of Doritos and a ruined favourite cushion. And the week prior…

Well, to keep it short, the boy could be really messy.

For all the good things Ace had ‒and they weren’t just a few, mind you‒, he had always possessed a unique knack for driving her insane. And, oddly enough, instead of turning tail on him, se had found herself wanting to befriend the menace. It also helped that they were almost the same age, her just a couple of years older.

She remembered it with fondness. How he had found out how troubled her life was back then, since his father had abandoned her, and his mother had gotten sick and died. He hadn’t hesitated even for a moment. They were both in high school at the time, almost a decade from now. She had thought they were just fellow students, nothing more. And, yet, that short-tempered boy who hated shirts came to her one day offering his help. More strangely yet, she had accepted.

That was how she had met his extravagant family. His two lovely little brothers, his loud and intimidating adoptive father, and his older brothers: Thatch, Izō and, of course, Marco. Everyone had been so welcoming, so extremely nice, it rivalled with their levels of insanity. She had actually cried when Edward Newgate had asked her to come live with him and his sons, promising an open door in case she changed her mind, food on the table and a comfortable place to sleep.

It turned out that he had given her a lot more than that.

She had been so awe-struck by the man ‒and the whole situation, really‒ that they had laughed in good spirits at her, saying that she looked like a scared rabbit.

The name had stuck. Besides, she wasn’t very fond of her actual one, so she embraced it.

As incredible as her new life was, though, she soon came to the realization that everyone there seemed to believe that Ace and herself would, eventually, become a couple. As in, a _romantic couple_ , doing lovey-dovey stuff on each other’s faces. She thought it was ridiculous, and so did Ace.

Nevertheless, each one of her newly acquired brothers seemed do dot on the idea. Except for Luffy, but, well. You couldn’t blame the kid for his obliviousness. And, curiously enough, Pops himself. Though she had never asked him why ‒that would have been just too awkward.

Truth is, they had actually fucked once, some years ago, a night of drunken shenanigans. The morning after, they had awoken with an awkward feeling and the worst hangover in the history of hangovers. They had promised to never ‒ _ever_ ‒ do that again, and that had been it.

It wasn’t like it hadn’t been fun. It had been pretty fun, if she was being completely honest with herself. She just didn’t see Ace like that, and he had told her he felt the same way towards her. They both shared a platonic relationship, and that was all there was to it. The had slept together out of drunken curiosity and, while the sex in itself had been great, it wasn’t what neither of them were looking for.

No. Ace was a strong pillar in her life ‒it just wasn’t like _that_.

The only one who knew ‒besides them both‒ was Marco. And Ace didn’t know that Marco knew, which made it all the more edgy for her. She actually felt herself cringe every time she recalled that evening, when she had called Marco in an anxious fit because her period was late. Ace and her had been utterly trashed, so _of course_ they hadn’t thought of using a condom.

At first, Marco had been stunningly silent on the other side of the phone. But, being the rational man he was, he had made a quick recovery and told her exactly what to do. He had driven to her apartment ‒although he could have gotten there by foot‒ with coffee-flavoured ice-cream and her favourite brand of tea. He had accompanied her on the trip to the 24/7 pharmacy in their neighbourhood, and listened attentively while she vented her fear and self-deprecation over how _stupid_ she had been, face stuffed in ice-cream.

Marco had calmed her down, as he usually did with everyone. He was that kind of person. He listened without judging and offered advice without being imposing. To call him had been natural, the logical option. Later, she actually felt bad for dropping that weight on him, and had apologised, felling more than a little embarrassed. He had just shrugged it off, although he had acted a little strangely for a week after the incident.

As it turned out, she hadn’t been pregnant at all. It had just been a delay, and the test had been negative. A visit to her gynaecologist the next day had confirmed the fact that no, she wasn’t going to have a baby, and that ‒even ir for some women periods worked like clockwork‒ delays were totally normal.

Of course, she had never told Ace. He would have suffered from cardiac arrest or chocked to death.

After that episode, everyone in he family seemed to reach the common understanding that nothing was going to happen between the hothead and their little Rabbit. And she was glad for that. She just hoped their little slip hadn’t transpired.

She sat on the couch, hugging her favourite cushion that now had orange handprints all over it. She was getting ready for an evening of shitty TV and frozen pizza when someone knocked on her door.

A couple of blue irises hidden under heavy lids met her own when she opened.

“Hey ~yoi.”

“Hello there, bird boy.”

Marco, on the other side of her threshold, clicked his tongue, but didn’t seem phased by the little nickname. He was used to them, having some five adoptive brothers and all.

“I hoped you would go with something more original ~yoi.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. You know I try my best.”

"Don’t I know that ~yoi.” To her credit, he did sound amused. A lazy smile adorned his features, giving him that playful air that she adored so much. Honestly, that man could do whatever he wanted with her.

_‘Damn it all, where’s my pride?’_

Giving the banter a short rest, she invited him in. He stood in the middle of her living room, as if assessing its state. Marco could be very observant, something that she didn’t always appreciate. On top of that, the man was really smart, so it was very difficult to hide something from him.

Like the way her cheeks heated up when he looked directly at her, as if peeking into her very soul, with that intense gaze of his.

“Hasn’t the fiery pest come haunt you yet?” She asked, diving to her previous spot on the couch.

“Should I expect a visit soon ~yoi?”

“I would reckon, yes. I just kicked him out. If you see him, please let him know to keep the hell away from me.”

He chuckled when he saw her pout. It was a sweet, unconscious gesture on her part. Marco found it very endearing, but if he were to tell her that, she’d stop doing it, and that was the last thing he wanted.

“I’ll go to Pops’ later, probably ~yoi. I’m still waiting for his call, though. I don’t know what time I’ll be back, but since you banned Ace for today, would it be okay for me to come here?”

Her heart positively leaped at that. Was it possible to have a heart attack from happiness? She was pretty sure it was.

_‘Alright, girl. Calm down. You’ve got this.’_

“Yeah, that would be… more than okay.” ‘ _Right, totally no needy at all_.’

“Nice ~yoi. See you later, then.”

And, just like that, he was leaning towards her. She had the strength to collect herself enough not to scream while he gave her a chaste peck on the lips.

With nothing more than that, Marco turned his back on her and started walking to the door. Only to stop at the entrance to the kitchen area.

“Rabbit… What the fuck happened to your kitchen ~yoi?”

Ah, yes. She had yet to clean the mess.

So much for her and Ace behaving like mature adults.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! As always, thank you so much for reading.  
> There are more chapters coming after this one. In the meantime, feedback is very much appreciated!


	2. The one with a fancy restaurant and a freckled asshole

Ace ended up arriving home more than two hours early for his meeting with Sabo. At the moment, as they had a seat in the blond’s favourite burger place, the freckled man was still thinking about how to get Marco back for tricking him into thinking he was running late. It wasn’t like he had _lied_ to him, but not saying anything at all was just as bad…

“Are you listening to me?”

Across from him, Sabo looked like he was half worried, half annoyed.

“Sorry, uh… Might have spaced out a bit.”

His brother sighed. “You know, it’s just bad enough that you fall asleep at random. But now you ignore me when you’re awake?”

“Don’t put it like that! I was just thinking ‘bout that damn pineapple.”

“Oh, you mean Marco?” He said while checking the menu. It wasn’t like he ever ordered anything different than the usual ‒double chicken with cheese and bacon, side fries and a coke‒, but he always took a look nonetheless. “I saw him yesterday.”

“Yeah, I know. That meeting must’ve been some important shit for him to stay the night.”

Ace studied his own menu. He couldn’t make up his mind. Should he order the double bacon, or maybe the special burrito? What a dilemma. He supposed he could get both, but…

“What?”

Sabo was looking at him with unusual intensity. He surely was acting weird today, with how much he was staring. Finally, he seemed to come back to earth from his own mind, because he shook his head with a weak ‘nothing’ and resumed his study of the plasticised menu.

But Ace wasn’t fooled. Not for an instant. Now, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he certainly could pick up on when people he knew acted strangely. And Sabo, who was looking everywhere but at him while he bit his bottom lip, was certainly letting him out of something.

“ _What is it?_ ”

“Nothing, just…”, the blond trailed off. “I’m sure it’s none of my business, and I’m probably just assuming things, but…”

“Out with it already!”

“Marco didn’t stay at Pops’ last night.”

Sabo blurted it out with some kind of a squeaky voice that didn’t sound much like his own, but Ace failed to notice because of the nuclear apocalypse going on inside his head.

“He… didn’t?”

“Well, maybe he did. He left around half past nine, maybe ten o’clock. But, I don’t know, he might have come back later, or…”

“Son of a bitch!”

Sabo was stunned into silence. So was the waitress who had been approaching their table, right before turning around and disappearing behind the door to the kitchen.

“…Sorry? I, um…”

“Not you! Marco!” The brunet was gritting his teeth. “I can’t believe he lied to my face! I mean, he could’ve just told me, unless‒”

Sabo, being a little thrown off because of his brother’s little tantrum, watched with growing horror how Ace’s eyes suddenly became as wide as saucers, and how his jaw dropped with comical proportion. He knew that look. It was like an omen of mayhem, the signal that Ace was about to blow something up.

“There’s no way in hell.”

“Please, not here. Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until…”

“How can you be so calm!? There’s something going on with that pineapple head, something big! I just know it, dammit! And you’re just sitting there like nothing happened!?”

Now, everyone in the restaurant was looking at them. Some with annoyance, some surprised, some a little scared. Sabo was positive his face was burning up like a volcano going off. He tried to hide behind his hat, mortified, but suddenly it wasn’t big enough.

If this kept up, he wouldn’t be able to return ever again, just out of sheer embarrassment. And it really was his favourite burger place.

“Ace, please, could you just… ‒Don’t you want to eat?”

“Hell yeah, you’re right. Why are they taking so long?”

Just like that, Ace’s mood switched from ‘hothead’ to ‘impatiently hungry’ ‒a state that was just a tad more manageable.

‘ _Thank god, there’s still hope._ ’

He decided to cheekily ignore the fact that Ace had managed to scare off one waitress already and motioned another one over. A young woman that seemed nice enough, despite looking a bit guarded. Sabo couldn’t really blame her.

The waitress took their orders and came some minutes after. Ace, who had managed to come back to his polite persona, had asked for a double burger, the special burrito _and_ chicken fingers, extra spicy. Watching him gobble it all down was as monstrous as it was fascinating.

“Oh, yeah, before I forget” he said with a mouthful. “Do you know where on Earth I can get hummus?”

.

∞

.

In hindsight, Rabbit found that she had always loved Marco.

It wasn’t a romantic love since the beginning, of course. At first, he was only one of Ace’s adopted brothers. The first to ever belong to the Newgate family, and one of the oldest sons. She had met him that fateful day, when Ace had taken her to meet his big-ass family. Marco had been polite and welcoming, just as everyone else. She had thought nothing of him at first, but then she had moved to their house to live with the brothers, and things had slowly, but undeniably changed.

For starters, she was the only girl. That meant she was treated a little bit differently, if only for the fact that the old man doted on her more than he ever did on his other sons. The others didn’t go easy on her just for the fact that she was a chick, but when there were fights ‒a usual occurrence‒ her new brothers held their punches slightly, although they would have never admitted to out loud. She didn’t receive special treatment, that was for sure ‒not even once did she get to eat the last slice of pizza, or use the bathroom first, or receive more money than the boys for Christmas. Maybe she got a little more privacy, and in the rare chance that she was to openly cry in front of them, they tended to be a little overprotective, but that was it.

She was thankful for the boys, but there was a constant reminder ‒though silent‒ that she was the only girl. And, in her first months as a Whitebeard ‒they liked to call themselves that, as a cheeky deference to Pops‒ the nagging feeling wouldn’t go away.

As time passed, though, she came to understand why she was thinking of herself as different from her brothers. It wasn’t just that she didn’t really enjoy talking about awkward boners and hot chicks and who could fart the loudest ‒Sabo, for one, didn’t enjoy those either‒, but something else completely.

When she reached the last year before entering college, Marco and Thatch moved out to an apartment nearer the town centre. They were fully independent adults, after all, it was just normal. Thatch was a successful chef for one of the most popular restaurants in the city, and Marco had finally finished medical school. He was working in a nice clinic, and from time to time helped Pops with his business too. They both came to the house as frequently as they could, but they didn’t see each other every day as they used to.

It was that fact that made her understand, some random morning when she was chewing a half-burnt toast in the kitchen while Pops made fresh coffee, why she had felt a little left out over the years. The reason was that, contrarily to what the boys did as naturally as breathing, she didn’t see them like brothers. Sure, Luffy was, more often than not, like her own child. Sabo and Ace were the closest in age to her, and her closest friends too, her equals. Izō was ‒for lack of a better comparison‒ the cold, distant cousin with a secret softness, and Thatch was the overwhelming uncle who had random bouts of immaturity when you least expected. Pops was like a benevolent but severe grandfather. And Marco…

Coming to this conclusion had been more than a little shocking for her. She loved the boys like anything, since they were the closest people to her heart. But she couldn’t consider the old man as her father, because she already had one, whom she despised. The others couldn’t be her brothers, because she had spent the majority of her life as a single and lonely child, and maybe it was too late to change that. And Marco ‒god, she could have never seen him as his brother, because there was nothing sisterly in the way she loved him.

If someone had asked her when these feelings had started to lose their platonic nature, she wouldn’t have been able to answer. He had always stood to her in a way that no one ever had. Marco was a serene presence with a wicked sense of humour, a mix of seemingly contradicting features that she found enthralling. Like how he liked to read any book, but no matter how immersed he was in his lecture, he always put it aside without a second of reluctance if one of the younger ones called. Or like it didn’t matter how annoyed he could be, he was caring even if he wasn’t in the mood. Or like he could carry the weight of everything around him and then just rub it off like it was no big deal. Or like the way he could scream bloody murder at Ace for being an idiot at the exact same time he asked if there was something he needed.

She supposed it was the little details, in the end. It wasn’t like when she had fallen for Trafalgar ‒no, it was nothing of the sort. Of course she had thought she had been so in love with that boy in her class. He was so good-looking, so charming in his own way. All the other girls her age, and even most of their seniors, were completely obsessed with the guy, and it didn’t help that he was really smart, to top it off.

As Rabbit had gotten to know him, however, her view of Law had shifted. The first dates went smoothly enough, and they had even kissed and whatnot. But he wasn’t caring like she knew Marco could be, and his sense of humour didn’t quite get along with hers, and ‒as laid back as he was‒ there was always a stupid sense of uncertainty whenever she was around him.

Unconsciously, she had been comparing him to the blond. How his blue gaze was much warmer, and how his eyelids couldn’t completely hide the mischievous glint that would shine sometimes. How he always asked her how she was before anything else. How they could be silent for hours and never feel forced to say a damn thing to fill the void, because there wasn’t any.

It is not necessary to say that things didn’t work out with Law the way they were supposed to. All the girls in her class had looked at Rabbit like she had gone mad, but she just didn’t have it in her to care. After all, Trafalgar and her had parted on good terms, and had remained pretty close friends ever since. She had supported him when his crazy-ass uncle had had a mental breakdown, and when his own adoptive father had suffered from a heart attack. All those were things that prompted him to attend med school, and he graduated top of his class. And, if she called him at 3 A.M. because she knew he would be awake and needed someone to distract her from turbulent thoughts, he didn’t really mind it.

“I swear, sometimes I think you don’t like me at all.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because I’ve just spent five minutes trying to talk to you? With no actual response, mind you.”

“Heavens, Nami, you sure like drama.”

“The fact that you’re right doesn’t mean I’m not, you know? The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

The redhead crossed her arms over her chest and puffed her cheeks, making her displeasure known. The girl wasn’t used to not be given attention, and the way Rabbit had been spacing out didn’t exactly make matters better.

“Say, Nami. Does it bother you that we’re friends despite the age difference?”

“You were thinking about him again.” It wasn’t a question.

Nami sighed, not needing an answer. She and Rabbit weren’t actually the same age, sure. The redhead was a year older that Luffy, which made the age gap between the two women a total of six years. It wasn’t weird in itself, but Nami knew the reason behind the insecurity.

“Look, girl. I’m your friend, right?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Right.” Nami resumed her previous activity of rummaging through the clothes in the stand. “So, as your friend and love guru”, here Rabbit made an affronted sound, but the other woman silenced her with a finger, “I recommend you get your head out your own ass and actually do something about the man.”

Blunt and unforgiving, as per usual. Rabbit couldn’t help but like those traits in her friend, even when they turned against her. She kept quiet though, looking at the clothing in front of her with a faraway look. She had just come to the mall because Nami had asked, but she wasn’t in the mood to actually buy anything.

The redhead, seeing as her friend was certainly out of it that afternoon, tried ‒and failed‒ to not give her an eyeroll.

“You know Robin is older than you are. And she’s still one of my best friends.”

“I know, I know. It’s just…”

“Although she’s a shit-ton funnier that you are being right now, so…” here she made a dramatic pause while she dragged her out of the store. “Dinner and drinks tonight?”

Rabbit couldn’t ‒nor did she want to‒ fight the smile that crept all over her face.

“Sounds like fun.”

.

∞

.

The _Baratie_ was the trend in that part of the city. Not very far away from the mall, Nami had chosen it seeing as they had the best food and a really nice selection of cocktails, all while ‘keeping it in style’. It also helped that she claimed to know a guy that might be able to go easy on them with the bill.

The place was, indeed, quite classy. The waiters looked a little posh, though, and the clientele was so fancily dressed that she felt a little out of place. Even so, Thatch might want to write down a thing or two about that restaurant, since they were his competitors and all.

Nami, who wasn’t nearly as self-conscious as she was, immediately started to flirt with the guy in charge of the reservations. In the end, she turned out to be the man she had been talking about. If the love-fool look he had on his face was something to go by, they could be able to even get free drinks tonight.

The guy’s name was Sanji, and he had been working at the _Baratie_ since he had learned how to serve water in a glass. His uncle, Zeff, was the owner of the place, and she congratulated him on how elegant it looked. Sanji had said that, as well as the man could cook, he was also a brute and a grumpy old man. A second later, though, his facial expression did a 180º and he proceeded to woo them both with his whole arsenal. As he himself had said at some point, ‘ _Nothing is good enough for my dear Nami and her beautiful lady friend, but I will try indeed and get the best just for you!’_.

The man, she assessed, could be a little creepy, but Nami seemed to like him well enough. He was actually a friend of Luffy’s, just a year older than the redhead, and after finding out that she was his adoptive sister, Sanji had gifted her with an amazing dessert made of chocolate and fruits.

The dinner was delightful. Sanji stopped by from time to time to refill their drinks and chat with them for a while, or at least until some other waiter came to snatch him by the ears. Rabbit and Nami had a wonderful time, and maybe drank one too many, but at the end of the night they were laughing so hard that their faces hurt.

When the bill finally came, it was much less than they had expected, and she was absolutely sure that it was thanks to the blond. Considering so, she hadn’t thought about it twice when she invited him over to her house to have lunch with Luffy and Nami someday. Sanji had been so overjoyed that he had almost fainted, and then had walked them to the door with the goofiest grin ever.

“You’re gonna regret that, lady” Nami slurred just the tiniest bit while she motioned for a taxi. “You should have told him you were taken, or he’ll materialize at your house with a dozen red roses next time.”

They got into the taxi, and she gave her address to the driver.

“Wait, don’t tell me he actually did that to you!”

“Well”, oddly enough, the redhead seemed a tad embarrassed. “I’m sure it was just to piss Zoro off, but yeah.”

Neither of them was aware of the taxi having arrived to its destination until the driver cleared his throat in a not-so-subtle way. Nami didn’t hesitate to tell him so, which earned them a glare from the man.

“If you don’t let me crash at your place, our friendship will be over.”

“Woah, drama queen, I was already planning on that! Why do you think we’re here?”

By the time she finally opened the apartment door, both of them were giggling like idiots. Honestly, she couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun. Senseless, harmless fun with a friend.

And, as it usually happens, it all came crashing down when they saw Ace in the middle of the living room, sitting on the floor and stuffing his face full of nachos. With an alarming quantity of _emmental_ cheese stuck to his fingers. And shirtless.

“Um, hey?”

She wanted to be mad at him, though the exact reason was a little blurred in her head. But with the way he was looking at them, a mix of confusion and fear, and the multiple cocktails in her system, she cracked up in a spectacular way.

Ace, on his part, didn’t know if he should help the obviously wasted women that had suddenly made an appearance in his living room, or just leave them be. He drew the line when the shoes came off and in a blink they were rolling around on the carpet in what seemed a fit of some sort.

Reluctantly, he helped them onto the sofa, silently saying goodbye to his night of nachos and videogames.

“By the way, miss ‘I’m-the-only-responsible-adult-in-this-house’, you forgot your phone.”

“I did?” She was currently busy attacking the bowl of nachos, despite having had dinner not even an hour ago. “I did!” She cried out as it suddenly landed on her.

“Well, duh. And don’t eat that, that’s mine!” With probably too much force, Ace snatched the bowl back. “Marco called you at some point, though I don’t know why.”

Immediately coming back to life from the other side of the couch, Nami screeched like a banshee.

“He called you? He called you!”

“Nami!”

“…Did you guys do drugs or something?”

Two different fists whacked him on the head almost instantly. For being drunk, they had a pretty good reaction time, it seemed.

At some point past midnight, she decided it was time to call it a day. She fetched some blankets and cushions for Nami, and bid her and Ace good night. She even gave him a kiss on the cheek ‒after all, he had bought her hummus in the end.

“Sorry, Nami. If my bed wasn´t so tiny you could sleep with me. Or maybe I can sleep on the couch instead, I really don’t mind.”

“It’s fine, don’t sweat it! Have sweet dreams!”

“See you tomorrow!”

The moment she turned down the corridor to head to her own room she heard Ace’s voice from the common area.

“You know? My bed is actually big enough to fit both of us.”

And then Nami giggled. She _giggled_.

‘ _Not on my watch, you freckled asshole!’_

“Ace!! Like hell you are!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Ace, I swear.


	3. The one with the dress and the T-shirt

Sundays were almost the same every week. It was the day when everyone in the Whitebeard family gathered at the old man’s place to have a nice lunch and a weekly get-together. Since the oldest sons ‒Marco and Thatch‒ had left the nest some years ago, it had become a tradition. The whole family reunited, talking about how life was going and keeping up with each other.

Also, it was a good excuse as any so Edward Newgate could keep an eye on his numerous children.

Not that they were children anymore, thought Izō with a sigh. He, just like Rabbit did, fell in the middle of his raucous brothers. And he didn’t consider himself a youngling anymore. Even Luffy, the youngest of them all, was now an adult in his own right ‒not that he often behaved as such, but still. Yes, he was in his way to become an old man (with all the years Thatch had managed to shorten his lifespan by behaving like a whole nuthouse, that day was now closer than ever).

Days like the current one, however, served to make him feel rejuvenated in a way. Being around the Troublesome Trio could be as exasperating as it was energy-draining, but it never failed to, at least, make him smile. His brothers certainly had a lively attitude in them, one he hoped they would never lose.

Right now, however, it was his only sister whom had his undivided attention. She was wearing a pink, flowing dress that reached just above her knees. The neckline rested on her collarbones, showing off her shoulders just the tiniest bit. It was a pale, soft colour that complimented her hair, and the skirt moved just right when she walked leisurely across the garden.

She looked lovely, and it was enough to make his eyebrow twitch.

“Something the matter?” Thatch, who never failed to pick on Izō’s every mood, asked from beside him. However, he never got an answer, as the shorter male was already closing the distance with Rabbit.

“Hey, Izō! Nice kimono you got there.”

But Izō refused to be swayed by petty compliments, damn her.

“Don’t give me that. Is it new?” he asked, pointing to the pink dress.

“Oh, my… I’m sorry, Izō. Nami bought it for me, I swear I…”

The man in the kimono jus mumbled moodily, still looking at the dress like it had personally insulted him. She resisted the urge to facepalm herself. She had promised Izō to let him make a dress for her, something of his own creation. For the last two weeks, though, she had been delaying that promise for various reasons. The fact that she kept doing that didn’t say anything good about her at all, and the man had every right to be mad if he so chose.

She watched Izō march away with a regretful expression plastered on her face.

“He’s been very… stressed out, lately.” A voice from behind her, Thatch’s, spoke softly. “He says his works lack inspiration, and he feels kind of frustrated. My guess is, you being the only sister he’s got, he had been looking forward to make something just for you that you and him both could enjoy.”

All she wanted right then, after hearing Thatch out, was to crawl into some place dark and humid and let the world forget about her. How had she failed to notice that Izō wasn’t alright? Worse still, why had she put him aside not just once, but several times in a row? The situation had to be fixed right away. She’d have to thank Thatch for his strangely accurate hindsight later.

“Izō!”, she called, trotting towards the man. “How’s Wednesday work for you?”

Smiling to himself, Thatch went back into the kitchen. As much as he enjoyed watching his siblings get along, he had a _crème-brulée_ to tend to.

.

∞

.

The day was so nice that Pops decided to take lunch outside, and everyone agreed. They wasted no time relocating the huge table, the cutlery and the food itself in the beautiful garden, since all of them were virtually starving. Thatch wasn’t a renowned chef for nothing, after all.

By the time everyone took a seat, Ace and Luffy were drooling over their plates. Quite literally.

“Well, my sons and daughter!” Pops always started his little speeches in the same fashion. She guessed he liked the ceremony of it all, the ritual. “Here we are again. It is great to see you all together in this house once more!” He finished with his signature laugh, a raucous sound that didn’t falter even when he hit Ace in the head for trying to steal an appetizer. “Now, let’s enjoy the food!”

The sound of lively chatting soon engulfed the garden’s atmosphere. Izō and Rabbit were side by side, conversing as if nothing had ever happened a few minutes prior. Marco sat to Pop’s right, eating calmly and listening to what the old man was saying. At the same time, though, he was doing a great job of keeping Ace and Luffy ‒whom was seated just beside Ace‒ away from his own food. The little fuckers thought that just because he ate slowly and actually chewed, they were entitled to stealing. Sabo, seated at the head of the table, was gobbling everything down just as quickly as the other two, but without getting his hands on anyone else’s plates. While he was at it, he complimented Thatch on his culinary skills. The man just laughed wholeheartedly while reminding the blond that breathing was just as important as food.

However, as it couldn’t be any other way, things heated up almost instantly. It all started when Sabo, the poor soul, made a very polite ‒and innocent enough‒ observation.

“By the way, Rabbit”, he caught her attention, “did you like the hummus we bought for you yesterday? I was doubting if you’d like classic or red pepper better. I hope we got it right?”

“It was quite alright, Sabo, thank you very much. Ace gave it to me last night, actually, so he’s already been forgiven.”

That, of course, didn’t sit well with Ace.

“Yeah, you bet I am. But now is my turn to forgive you, since you and your friend busted my game night when you came home drunk as hell.” Everyone in the table was staring at her then, most with amused expressions on their faces. She could feel her cheeks heat up. “By the way, did Nami ask about me?”

‘ _Payback time._ ’

“Yes, Ace, she did. Actually, she asked me if you had freckles on your ass, too.”

That was when Sabo spit his drink on Izō, whom in turn looked ready to murder him. The blond apologised profusely, stuttering all the while because of how embarrassed he felt. It didn’t help that Pops, Thatch and Ace were cracking up like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

But it could get worse still ‒and so it did.

“So, speaking about asses‒”

“No one wants to speak about asses, Ace.”

“Please, we’re eating.”

“Take him away from here.”

“‒are you more of an ass-guy or a boob-guy, Marco?”

To Ace’s chagrin, however, Marco didn’t seem troubled by the question. He had been hoping to get a reaction from him, and then ask where he had gone to on Friday night, but it didn’t go according to plan ‒at all.

“I’m more of a boob-guy, if you’re sure you want to have this conversation ~yoi.” He nonchalantly said while picking at his salad. “Usually, a D-cup is just what I look for in women, you know?”

It was her turn to choke on her food, nearly spitting it back on the plate. Luckily, she contained herself ‒but not enough, apparently.

“And why on Earth are you choking now?” Izō said suspiciously. She could see Marco, the smug bastard, actually smiling to himself.

‘ _So proud of that one, are we?_ ’

“Women? Huh, that’s a surprise.”

“Thatch!”

“What? I thought maybe he liked both meat and fish, if you get my meaning.”

“I like meat better!”, said Luffy through a mouthful. The sight of his neck passing down that sheer amount of food was painful for those watching.

“Oh, my dear Lord.”

“Luffy! They weren’t talking about food, you dummy!”

“They were, Rabbit. You’re a little silly sometimes, you know?”

“Oh, the nerve‒”

A powerful clap broke the argument as soon as it had started. Pops had been honestly enjoying the banter, one could tell by the giant smile half hidden under his white moustache. But he also knew better than anyone that the situation could escalate out of control in the brink of an eye, so he instituted peace at the table.

After that, everyone refrained from starting another argument, so the conversation derived in neutral topics like work, studying, and everyday life. It was calmer, and time passed without any major incidents

That is, until the main course.

Thatch had prepared a huge pot of meat chilli, seeing as each of his brother ate at least for five normal people.

“Alright, everyone! I made it extra spicy this time, as some of you‒” here he pointed towards Ace “‒made it clear you didn’t like ‘mild-ass tomato crap’. Now, I present to you, the Monster‒ Luffy!”

The boy had chosen not to listen to whatever was coming out of his brother’s mouth as soon as the pot had caught his eye. Then, being the fearless young man he was, he had dived head-first into the spicy monstrosity that Thatch had created just to shut Ace up. The cook hadn’t held back, and so it wasn’t risky to say that it was the hottest chilli ever made in the Newgate home.

For those observing the tragedy unfold, it was like witnessing first-hand a volcanic explosion. First, Luffy’s face turned an angry shade of red. Then his eyes watered, making him look like he was enduring a lot of pain and misery ‒which he probably was. And then, just like the hero he had always wanted to be, he swallowed.

Immediately after, he started to scream asking for mercy. The other on the table got divided among those trying to help the impulsive boy, those too occupied deadpanning, and those laughing their asses off.

Rabbit turned from a suffering brother just to watch Pops and Ace were actually crying from laughter, so she went to tell them off, when‒

“Old man! Is that liquor you’re drinking?”

“It’s not, woman! It’s just plain, boring water.”

“Don’t ‘woman’ me now! You know the doctor‒”

She was cut off by a blur passing near her in the direction of the table. No one was able to hold Luffy still, nor tell him that it wasn’t actually water in Pop’s glass. He gulped in down like a dying man in the desert, before the incredulous eyes of the whole family.

“This isn’t water!”

“Of course it’s not, you airhead!”

.

∞

.

As everyone returned to their seats, Luffy went to the bathroom inside the house.

“It is a wonder he’s reached adulthood” was Izō’s comment.

“You tell me. It was hell raising those two”, added Thatch.

“What do you mean, ‘those two’?” Ace had been in the middle of a one-sided staring contest against Marco when Thatch’s words had caught his attention.

“I can tell. Luffy can be quite a handful sometimes.” Sabo was sipping on his drink, apparently reminiscing on terrible, terrible things.

“I can’t speak for Luffy, but the freckled menace is quite something himself.”

“Hey, you!”

“I feel you, sis.”

“Thanks, Sabs. You’re always so considerate.”

“I swear, the _both_ of you…”

“Talking about considerate men with impeccable manners” intervened Thatch, if only to stop another violent episode from taking place. “Little one, when are you going to introduce us to a good, handsome man?”

She felt her entire body grow both hot and cold at the same time. That was something she hadn’t seen coming. She could feel the stares of everyone on her. Well, everyone except for Marco.

“No man is good enough for my daughter!”

“Come on, Pops. You can’t scare off all her suitors.”

“I can certainly try. But the appropriate one wouldn’t be scared of an old man like me!”

Normally, they would have left it at that. But, for some reason, Thatch just kept going.

“What about that kid, Trafalgar? They went out together in high school. I heard from Marco the other day he was going to make a great surgeon one day.”

From his seat, the blond just hummed non-committedly, seeming too concentrated on watching his fork.

Surprisingly enough, it was Ace who ran to her rescue.

“Nah. I did like that Law guy, but he just wasn’t right for her, man.”

She shot him a grateful look, one he corresponded with a thumbs-up.

“I know, darling” Izō reached out for her hand from across the table. “Guys your age are a little… too much, sometimes.”

“So, what you’re saying is” Thatch quipped again, “she should look for someone _older_? I won’t let some grown-ass man pervert my little Rabbit like that!”

What did it for her weren’t Thatch’s words, which ‒as patronizing as they were‒ had been said with good intentions. No. What made something snap inside her was the expression on Marco’s face. He wasn’t looking at her ‒hadn’t done so since the start of that particular conversation‒ but the look on his face was so blank, so detached, so… So bored. Not his usual calmness. Something very, very different that made her feel dread.

She toppled her own glass of wine on purpose, the maroon stain on her new dress as eye-catching as a beacon. She would feel sorry for Nami’s present later, but now ‒now, everything she wanted was to gey away.

She excused herself from the table and went into the house, not daring to look back at her now eerily silent family. She then took the way to her old room, the one on the first floor that Pops had given her when she was nothing but a lonely teenager. On the hallway she found Luffy on his own way outside, but didn’t utter a word to him.

When she made it to her former bedroom, she closed the door behind herself, maybe with a little too much force than was necessary. There, she sat on the naked mattress as she finally let her emotions flow. Big, ugly tears rolled down her face, roaming freely until they fell onto her skirt, dampening it slightly.

‘ _Seriously, what is wrong with me?_ ’

It surely wasn’t her style to flee from her family just to cry alone in her room. But damn, it hurt, it hurt so much to be disregarded like that in front of everyone, even though no one had been the wiser. She knew Thatch hadn’t meant to upset her. It was her own insecurity getting back at her, but she couldn’t help the way she felt at the moment. All that she had needed was a look from Marco, just a silent sign of recognition, of support. Yet, he hadn’t given her any, not the tiniest flick of those deep blue irises, not a quirk of his mouth.

Nothing.

Was that what she meant to him? Nothing at all? Part of her knew she was being irrational because she was feeling dejected. Marco was one of the most ‒if not _the_ most‒ caring people she had ever met. She knew he loved her dearly. She knew, she knew ‒and yet, the doubt was unmercifully squashing her heart.

Was it possible for him to be ashamed of her? Because of the age gap? There was no other explanation. After all, that was the main reason they were keeping it a secret. That was why no one knew, not even Nami, nor the boys. Both Marco and she were afraid of how the family would react to the news. They would find it disturbing, maybe even disgusting. Wasn’t it, really? She should regard the blond like a brother, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was too far gone for that ‒always had been.

But was it okay to be in a relationship with someone who was ashamed of the world knowing? She sure wasn’t, and maybe that was where the problem resided. Since knowing him, she had seen Marco as a mentor, a friend, a pillar ‒later in life, even as a lover. Clearly, he didn’t think the same about her.

A whine tore its way through her throat. It was quite a pathetic sound, high and weak, but unstoppable, nonetheless. She wiped the mess that was her face with the back of her hands. Then, her blurry eyes landed on the full mirror in the faraway corner, and she took a moment to take in her appearance.

‘ _A mess, indeed_.’

It was when she was in front of said mirror, arranging herself as best as she could, when the knock resonated through the quiet space. She had stopped crying already, but still wasn’t ready for anyone to see her in such a state. Her cheeks were puffy, her eyes were pinkish where they should have been white, and her dress still sported that affronting wine stain.

“Are you alright ~yoi?”

‘ _Fuck_.’

Of course she wasn’t, but the little pride she still had in her refused to let him see that. So she smiled ‒maybe it was a little strained‒ and turned around to face the man that seemed to inhabit her thoughts.

He was at her threshold, not wanting to invade her privacy unless she explicitly told him to. There, with a laid-back posture and a serious look in his eyes, he waited for an answer.

Rabbit realized this only after a full minute of staring at him without saying a word. Inwardly, she cursed. The way that man could turn her brain to mush was alarming, but she would have been lying if she said she despised it. In the end, that was something that only he could manage to do.

“I am”, was what she told him. Not actually what she wanted to say, but still.

“May I come in?”

She only nodded her head.

Slowly, Marco approached the mattress and sat carefully on its white surface. They were face to face, her having the height advantage for once, since she was still standing. The silence stretched for another minute. The blond seemed to get annoyed when he realized she wouldn’t meet his gaze, but waited. He had an inkling that, if he were to say anything before she did, whatever was in her head at the moment would retract to some unreachable place, and that was the last thing he wanted. So, being a patient man, he just sat there looking at the young woman.

Eventually, she gave up.

“Sorry I ran away.”

“You looked upset ~yoi.”

Well, no shit.

“I…” she started, but the words didn’t seem to want to come out. “I’m sorry, I’m acting like a child.”

“Now, you are, yes.” Seeing as she was about to turn tail, Marco grabbed her wrist firmly but without hurting her, so she couldn’t run away from him. “Grown-ups tend to talk about the things they don’t like, even when it’s difficult for them ~yoi.”

A sudden bout of anger rose through her. Was there really a need to be condescending?

“Let me put it clearly for you, then. I am sorry I make you feel ashamed.”

To his credit, the only sign that he was truly surprised by her statement was the marginal widening of his eyes. Other than that, he remained completely unaffected.

She, on her side, already regretted her words. They had been petty and full of rancour, made to hurt him, or at least make him feel uncomfortable. But that’s not what she really wanted, was it?

“I couldn’t be ashamed of you even if I were to try.”

She looked at him then, with her full attention. She hadn’t been expecting that.

“If this is because of what they were saying back at the garden, forget it. There’s no need for you to feel like that ~yoi, because even when you’re having the worst of days I still think you are the most incredible woman I have ever met.”

With utmost care, he pulled her closer until she was between his parted knees, his neck slightly cranked up to properly look at her. There was a slight tint on her cheeks, but whether it was from the crying or embarrassment, he wasn’t able to tell.

For her, though, the world was moving an inch per hour. She noticed the way Marco pulled her towards him, how his warm hands came to rest on her hips like a feathered touch, and the way his eyes were darting between her own and her mouth. She was hyper-aware of every detail, and yet could not move. Not when there was an unknown force telling her to stay exactly where she was, with his presence wrapping her like a blanket.

When their lips finally locked, it was so sweet that it hurt a little. The sensation of Marco kissing her made her knees go weak between the male’s thighs, and a heady feeling flooded her head until everything she could think of was him, Marco, in that very moment, embracing her.

It was short-lived, though. He separated, albeit reluctantly, and she deemed it a good idea ‒if it was up to her, she would had suffocated herself in that kiss. A laughable, but pleasant way to die.

“You look beautiful in that dress ~yoi”, he told her then, and his voice was so quiet and so soft that she couldn’t but believe him.

She smiled again, and this time it was genuine.

“I’m afraid I’m gonna have to change. Gods, Nami will kill me when she finds out. Because she _will_ find out, believe me, and then there won’t be enough land in this continent for me to hide.”

The blond chuckled at her antics. It was true that the redhead had a difficult temper, that was for sure. He clearly remembered patching Luffy up after the first time Nami had hit him seriously, and she had done so with a vengeance. The boy had nurtured a really huge lump on his forehead for almost a week.

She left his side only to turn towards her old wardrobe, where she kept some of the clothes she used to wear when she lived there, and for the few occasions when she stayed the night at the Newgate house. After some rummaging, she was able to find a pair of wide, silky shorts with a floral pattern, and a piece of clothing that had Marco’s irises sparkling in amusement.

Seeing he had recognised the article in her hands, Rabbit met his mischievous gaze with a flustered one. She felt the need to explain herself.

“It ended up mixed with my laundry one day, back when we all lived together. My intention was to return it to you, but I guess it slipped my mind. And then you left, and you forgot it here, so…”

She trailed of, not sure of what else to say. But Marco didn’t chastise her like she feared. If anything, he seemed pleased. Watching his old T-shirt, black with an AC/DC logo on it, he made his own little confession, a smirk never leaving his features.

“I didn’t forget it. It was my favourite tee ~yoi. I just thought it would be better off with you.”

Standing up, he came closer to her again. Now he was much taller than her, and used this advantage to leave a kiss on the crown of her head. He gently nuzzled her hair too, before turning back to the door.

“I’ll leave you to change ~yoi. Come back down whenever you’re ready.”

She changed in a hurry, wanting to go back to the garden as quickly as possible. She was sure Thatch was already serving dessert, and Luffy could be faintly heard, as he was being his usual loud self. He seemed to be just fine after the chilli incident, and that only meant one thing ‒if she didn’t go back there in the next thirty seconds, she would be too late to taste that _crème-brulée_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! New chapter here.  
> This time we got to see some direct interaction between Marco and Rabbit, however short. What do you think?  
> As always, thanks for reading!


	4. The one with an infuriating doctor and two monkeys

“I thought you said this was important?”

From the other side of his coffee mug, Trafalgar Law looked very little impressed with his friend, currently sitting opposite him.

“It is. Don’t be a meanie and let me explain, _Traffy_.”

The space between his eyebrows narrowed dangerously at the nickname, but he chose to let it slip in benefit of taking a sip of the dark beverage. Coffee seemed to be the only thing able to keep him standing right now.

“Can you make it quick, then? I’m supposed to be on an on-call shift, not idly playing house.”

The male was acidic, as always, but Rabbit didn’t let that discourage her. She knew very well that if Law really didn’t want to listen to her ramblings, he would have stood up and left already. He wasn’t above that ‒she had seen him do that to many people before. He had a reputation, after all, and it wasn’t totally undeserved.

“I don’t know what to do with Marco.”

Law rolled his eyes so far up his skull that it looked downright painful.

“Hell, Rabbit-ya. You’re acting more like a love-sick teenager than when you were _actually_ a teenager. What’s wrong with you?”

She quietly rephrased that in her head as ‘ _What is the reason that makes you behave in a so-not-yourself way?’_. It sounded much less discouraging.

“Since you want to know, I’ll be blunt. We’re kind of going out already, but obviously we’ve been keeping it a secret.”

The surgeon’s face didn’t change his usual stoic expression, but she knew he was caught off-guard by the news. One didn’t stay friends with Trafalgar Law over the years without learning to read the many micro-gestures that were the only indicators of what he was really thinking.

“You don’t want the rest of your brothers to know and hastily assume things or judge your still fragile relationship.”

“You’re smart! I knew I had bought you for a reason.”

“Watch it.”

The real motive behind the call she had made early that morning was as clear as it was annoying ‒she kept mulling over and over about her relationship with the blond. The truth was that the events of the most recent Newgate get-together had been haunting her, despite her conversation with Marco. She had thought everything was peachy, just for the doubts to come back full-force once she was alone at night in her own room, Ace snoring loudly in the living-room and her heart beating almost as loudly in her chest.

The surgeon stuck a tattooed hand through his messy dark locks in mild desperation.

“Look, I can hardly say I’m the best to give you this kind of advice.”

A brief silence was established between the two, while she eyed him with expectancy. When it was clear he wasn’t going to speak any further, she prompted him.

“But…?”

“There’s no but”, he deadpanned. “That’s how it is.”

She sighed, not bothering to hide her annoyance. There was something about Law that prompted her to be painfully honest, even when it came to her worst traits. However, it was also true that she had deceptively led him to meet her that morning, knowing too well that the man wasn’t one to talk about feelings or any remotely romantic stuff. Weird and kinky sexual depravities? Sure, he was your homie. Touchy-feely dramatic situations? Nope, thank you very much.

“How’s Cora been doing?” She opted for a change of subject.

Law smirked unconsciously.

“He’s fine. He managed to catch himself _and_ the curtains on fire just the other day, but that just means he’s being his usual clumsy self. If he didn’t pull a stunt like that from time to time, I’d be worried.”

She deduced Law wasn’t aware of the fondness his voice acquired whenever he talked about his parental figure, the man that had taken him in and provided a home for him. A _real_ home, not just a house in which to live. It was not so different from what the Newgate patriarch had done for her, so she could definitely relate.

“He asked me to tell you to come visit soon, too.”

“He’s always been too sweet.”

“Exactly. Please, don’t heed that invitation. There’s only so many headaches I can manage in a day.”

“Definitely didn’t pick up on that, did you?”, she couldn’t help but tease.

The man in front of her _tsked_ , but didn’t contradict her words. After all, he was very aware of his own personality traits, and ‘sweet’ didn’t fit in the description.

“Fuck it”, he said abruptly. “I’m sure I’m gonna regret this, but you sure look like you need it.” He squared his shoulders then, and looked her dead in the eye while he talked. “There is no reason for you to feel the way you’re feeling, even if you don’t think so right now. It’s okay to be a little insecure and want to take things slowly, specially in the beginning. But since you seem so determined to know what I think, I must say that you two are a perfectly ridiculous pair of idiots.”

Her mouth hung open at that, but he didn’t let her articulate a single word. He was in a tirade, and poor her if she dared interrupt him.

“You always used to tell me how every damned Newgate used to take for granted that you and Ace-ya would end up together eventually, right? Then why do you think it would be any different if it were Marco-ya instead?”

She actually stopped for a moment to consider that. Law kind of had a point, after all.

“I still think the age gap is a major handicap here.”

The look on Law’s face spoke of a nursing headache.

“Are you both above the legal age of consent?”

“Well, duh‒”

“Then, the only handicap I see is in your head.”

She stared, bafflement evident on her expression.

“I don’t know whether to hit you o kiss you right now.”

The smirk made its way back onto the surgeon’s mouth.

‘ _Smug little bastard_.’

“Just don’t expect me to do this kind of thing ever again.”

She just hummed. After a while, though, another thought popped up in her mind.

“You know? Sometimes I feel like it’s my fault that you and I didn’t work out.”

“That’s not true, and you know it.” He gulped down the last of his coffee before continuing. “There isn’t anyone to blame for that. But I guess I should have known.”

Puzzled, she looked at him expecting an explanation. What had he wanted to imply? But Law just smirked tauntingly, the way only he knew, eyes ablaze with mischief. He got up from his seat and gathered his things, ready to leave for the hospital. Then, just as he was passing by her side on his way out, he got really close to her ear and spoke in a low, teasing tone.

“You’ve always had a thing for doctors.”

.

∞

.

Marco was annoyed. Utterly, undoubtedly, simply annoyed. Pissed off on so many different levels he wasn’t able to pick them apart anymore. It was just one big, shapeless mass of restlessness that sat at the bottom of his stomach, cooking on a low fire until it was ready to blow.

Work at the clinic had been stressful lately. It was a good job, but Marco was absolutely sure there had never been so may patients at the same time, and 75% of them had managed to be the most whiny, inconsiderate people he had ever encountered. From the grown-ass brickhouse of a man that had cried like an inconsolable toddler when the nurse had wanted to extract a blood sample, to the woman that had arrived with a nasty mark on her skin, claiming she had a melanoma. It had ended up being a simple bruise, but the lady had wanted to thoroughly explain to him how her Google search differed from his diagnostic.

Now, Marco was a patient man. Years of dealing with a troop of raucous brothers had taught him not to lose his temper over the little things, but that damned week had been nothing but a test to his durability.

More than that, he felt sore all over. It was, probably, due to all the tension he had been enduring lately. His shoulders were stiff, and his limbs cracked every now and then. He hadn’t had the time to go on his usual morning run since ‒well, a fair number of days, really‒ and the results were showing.

And, because life can very well be a total bitch, he had managed to rip his favourite bermuda shorts while putting them on that exact same morning ‒which really sucked balls, because he had nothing clean enough to wear other than some sport trousers that were a ridiculous shade of orange, and the look he had sported on his way to work had been nothing short of laughable.

His roaming mind was brought back to reality by a chime-like sound coming from the front pocket of his pants.

A message.

**What the difference b2een cotton & polyester underwear?**

**I dont wanna be itchy**

Ace. He pressed a hand to his mouth and silenced his phone, not in the mood to deal with that right now.

What a fucking day.

But now he was back at his apartment, Thatch nowhere in sight, and he thought ‒no, he knew‒ he deserved some pampering, mental-health evening for himself. With that in mind, he shed the offending garments from his skin, made his way to the bathroom, and started the shower. He was going to take his damn time.

When he finally emerged from the bathroom with a towel loosely wrapped around his hips and steam emanating from the tiled room, he already felt a lot better,

After that, clad in nothing but pyjama shorts, he sauntered towards the kitchen. He was hoping for a cup of hot, black coffee and a relaxing night of reading in bed. However, and even though the stress had mostly evaporated from his body alongside the hot water, he felt a persistent thought munching at his conscience.

That particular thought had the shape of a certain young woman that he knew too well.

It was enough to wipe away his peace of mind.

‘ _Honestly, what was I thinking?_ ’

He should have known better. He was an intelligent man. He took pride in his knowledge, in his career, in his dependability. Then, why the ever-loving _fuck_ hadn’t he been able to keep to himself? If not his feelings ‒he knew damn well those went way too back to simply ignore them‒, then at least he could have not acted on them. But there was something about her that compelled him forward, to come closer, to let himself go. There had always been.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, though, the events of last Sunday had affected him more than he let on. The conversation he’d had with Rabbit back at Pop’s had left him unsettled. He had told her not to worry over what had transpired at lunch, but he found himself unable to follow his own advice. What had Pops said? ‘The appropriate one wouldn’t be scared of an old man like me’? Well, he had done nothing but keep their relationship a secret. And Thatch ‒’I won’t let some grown-ass man pervert my little Rabbit like that’. That was exactly what had happened, though. What _he_ had done.

Marco felt furious then.

That was not the only thing he had done wrong, though, was it? He could clearly remember her tear-streaked face. He had made her worry, had made her think she wasn’t enough for an old bastard like him.

It was a fucking joke. It had to be.

His phone vibrated again.

**U there?**

It was Ace again, but Marco sincerely didn’t know what to answer, so he told him just that. His little brother seemed to drop the topic after that, but the universe wasn’t done inconveniencing the blond. Another message came though.

**Hey**

**How on earth do you clean a stain of werstershire sauce off from white trousers?**

Thatch. How the man was older than him and could act so immaturely sometimes was above Marco. He shouldn’t be allowed to live on his own.

**Worcster**

**Worcersters**

**Fuck, you know which one I mean**

Marco did know, but the sigh he let out right then threatened to tear him right in half. Since it didn’t look like an emergency, he decided he would call Thatch later ‒or maybe even tomorrow, _good grief_.

The coffeemaker started fuming then, and he couldn’t be more grateful for it.

The mere fact that she could possibly feel like she was unworthy of being with him ‒or that she felt that way _because_ she was with him‒ made his blood boil. Honestly, how could that be? If anything, he felt like he was the one dragging her down with all of this. It was selfish of him, so very selfish, but he didn’t have it in him to just set her free to forget about him. He guessed he had the spirit of a pirate, taking whatever he desired and making it his no matter the cost.

It was fucking unfair, that’s what it was.

**you gotta watch thisss!!!!!**

**its SO FUNNy!!!!**

He _knew_ he shouldn’t be, but he was curious. Almost absentmindedly he pressed the icon to play the video. It displayed a chimpanzee moving around in some tree, nothing that impressive or original. But then, totally out of the blue, it stuck a finger up its own butt, brought it to its face, and nearly fainted.

He was ready to tell Luffy off when another message appeared on the screen.

**oh sorry youre not ace**

Marco was going to die before reaching old age. He just knew it.

The first seep of the black concoction helped calm him down a little. It burned his tongue, but he didn’t mind. Trust his little brothers to be the only thing capable of breaking him out of a self-awareness session like the one he had been having, just so they could ask him nonsense.

But maybe ‒thought Marco, leaning against the kitchen counter‒, maybe it had been for the better. He felt like he had been on the verge of breaking his own composure by overthinking. He might be an old fucker and a selfish man, but he knew where his own strong points resided, too. He was perfectly capable of maintaining a cold head through almost every situation, which meant he did not rush through things. He was a family man, a dependable member of the Newgate family. He was loyal, and he was true.

As soon as he was done reminding himself _exactly_ who he was, he made up his mind.

Uncoincidentally, he almost threw his phone against the nearest wall when another notification popped on the screen.

**hey ace you gotta watch this!!! its so much fUN!!!**

He finished the scalding coffee and put the mug away in the sink, then made his way to his bedroom and picked the book on his night-table.

He would talk to her first thing in the morning.

.

∞

.

“Was this really necessary?”, a wary Thatch asked from his spot in the middle of Izō’s apartment.

The only answer he got was an affronted grunt coming from down the corridor, straight out from the laundry room. He reckoned Izō wasn’t in his best mood at the moment.

The cook had arrived at his brother’s home in the hopes of getting his dirty uniform clean. Marco, for whatever reason, hadn’t answered his text, and Izō really knew his way with clothes, so it had presented itself as the best course of action. The frown on his brother’s face, however, had suggested the contrary.

All in all, Thatch didn’t know if the colourful, plaid skirt he was wearing to cover his privacy was some sort of twisted revenge attempt on his part, or just life coming back to bite him in the ass. He was just happy Ace wasn’t there, because he would never had been able to live it down.

“I’m glad you weren’t going commando this time, Thatch.”

With Izō finally emerging from the laundry room, the pair made their way to the open kitchen area and sat down for a cup of tea. Even with the drying machine, the pants would take a while to dry.

Normally, Izō wasn’t the most talkative person, but the silence he was enduring was getting to Thatch’s nerves quickly. Was he really that upset over some stained clothes?

“There’s something going on.”

Thatch just stared very pointedly.

“It was an _accident_ , Izō, these things happen‒”

“I’m not talking about _that_ ”, he cut him, brow twitching in mild annoyance. “I was thinking about that pair of oblivious idiots. And before you ask, no, I don’t mean Luffy and Ace.”

“Oh”, Thatch said, catching the meaning. “Right. It’s been a while since we discussed those two, hasn’t it?”

“Exactly.” Izō sipped from the china cup with elegance. “It’s getting painful to watch. For heaven’s sake, it’s like they’re blind to each other’s feelings. We’ve got to do something.”

“You know it’s been going on for years. I’m starting to think the only way to get them to admit how they feel would be shoving them together into a dark room with no possible escape, and‒”

“Sure, because forcing things is always the way to go.”

“But I really think they need a little encouragement, so maybe if we keep dropping hints like we were trying to do at Pops’‒”

“Yes, that was _definitely_ a good one”, the cross-dressing male said, sarcasm evident in his voice. “You almost blew everything up. Not to mention poor Rabbit’s face.”

“Alright, stop interrupting me! And I already said I was sorry, geez!”

A brief pause.

“You know, it would make me really happy to see those two together.”

“Me too”, Thatch muttered, lighting a cigarette. After a long, thoughtful drag, he let go of the smoke while he stared blankly at the ceiling. “But knowing Marco, he won’t do anything if he thinks he’s harming the family in some way.”

Izō just shook his head in a gesture that seemed to mean ‘I know, but that doesn’t mean I approve’.

The companionable silence was untimely broken by a _beep_ coming from the shorter male’s cell phone.

“Ugh, Luffy, you absolute monkey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yours Truly may or may not need a Trafalgar Law in her life. For the sake of science.
> 
> On a side note, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.  
> ...Thatch and Izō might be missing out on something, though.


	5. The one with 'the talk' and a house fire

What was the name of that sensation? The feeling of uncertainty that came with an unexpected event, that made one’s pulse race, knees tremble, and pupils dilate? It also provoked some kind of cold sweat and a desperate need to flee.

Ah, that’s right.

Panic.

That’s the name of the thing she was feeling at the moment.

Taking a look in the mirror, she picked up her phone from where she had previously left it on the sink, and checked the locker screen. Still nothing. No message from Marco telling her that it had been a joke, or that he had sent it to the wrong person. Oh, how she wished it had been the case. Instead, what greeted her when the conversation was opened was a meagre ‘we need to talk’.

And that was it, really.

No further explanation, no emoji, no ‘how are you, by the way?’. No. Just a lame ‘we need to talk’.

‘ _This can’t be happening_.’

The timing couldn’t possibly have been worse. She had just recently decided to toss away every doubt she had been harbouring about their relationship so she could embrace it fully. She refused to be one of those people that wasted something perfectly good because their insecurities got the best of them.

Yes, that’s what she had thought. At the moment, however, her carefully woven confidence had been thrown out of the window by a simple text message. That was it. He wanted to end things, didn’t he? It had to be. Despite of what they had talked, Marco had finally understood that they couldn’t be together. God, what was she going to say? No, no begging, she liked to think she had some decency left. Would she be able to look him in the eye ever again? What about her brothers? What would Pops think if he ever knew? Was that her hyperventilating? Well, maybe she was.

‘ _Get your shit together’_ , suddenly said a voice inside her head. And, if said voice sounded suspiciously like Law, she didn’t want to dwell on it.

But the voice, whomever it belonged to, was right. She was assuming things like an idiot. There was no need to panic, because Marco had not specified what it was he wanted to discuss. And even if he wanted to break up, she would take it on as the mature, adult person she claimed to be. No, scratch that. She was going to make her case known ‒look the bird boy dead in the eye, tell him how much she loved him and why, and the reasons why she thought it was crazy to just give up like that. After her rant, if he persisted on leaving her, she would smile and wish for the best.

Then, proceed to crawl under her bedsheets and cry her eyeballs out.

But, whatever. It was time to be a little assertive.

She replied to his message with a simple ‘come over in an hour or two’. After that, she breathed deeply and exited the bathroom with a whole new level of confidence ‒which its exact origins were unknown, but not any less valid.

“Finally! Do you feel okay? I was starting to think‒”

“Ace”, she told the freckled young man that was currently fretting over her. “I need you to go somewhere else for a while.”

The brunet was first confused, and the absolutely baffled. She _couldn’t_ have possibly _implied_ ‒

“Actually, make it tomorrow”, and with that, Rabbit walked away, a fierce look of determination on her face. If she felt any bad for kicking his flatmate out without a proper explanation, she didn’t show it.

Ace then entered the bathroom muttering something along the lines of ‘women are fuckin’ insane’.

.

∞

.

“Alright, spill.”

It had started inconspicuously enough. They had gone to the store, bought some junk food and carbonated drinks enough to cause an elephant diabetes, selected a couple of R-rated films with lots of explosions and swearing. Everything had been cool and peachy ‒until it was no longer.

If, under other circumstances, someone would have called Sabo weak‒willed, he would have laughed at their face. Also, it that said somebody would have threatened him while wielding a giant bottle of frozen coke, he would have not only laughed, but retaliated in kind, too. After all, people tended to underestimate him because of his good manners and soft tone, when in reality he could be as exuberant as his brothers anytime. After all, they wouldn’t get to be called the Troublesome Trio with just two members in it. He just chose to not let his wild side show ‒usually.

However, the thing was that Sabo wasn’t being his usual self. In fact, he had been acting strange since Ace had showed up at his doorstep that afternoon, claiming that their only sister had kicked him out ‒yet again‒ for the time being. At first, he had played it cool and agreed to offer Ace a place to stay the night, because that’s what brothers were for, right? Well, he soon started wishing he hadn’t. Because Sabo was a man on a mission, and said mission was currently compromised by a brunet wearing a hideous orange cowboy hat.

For anyone that knew him, it was a universally known truth that the blond wasn’t one to lie ‒and so, when the undeniably need arose, he just sucked at it.

“There’s nothing to ‘spill’ here, so drop the issue already.”

Yes, he mentally cringed at that. He briefly regretted not having Thatch’s ability to charm his way out of almost anything, or even Izō’s incredible poker face.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire.”

“How old are you!?”

The aforementioned bottle of frozen coke swung on Ace’s hands like a club ready to be properly smacked against Sabo’s head. He just really hoped his brother wouldn’t dare, and that it was just some sick sort of intimidation tactic.

“Old enough to tell when my own brother lies to my face.”

“S-surely you don’t mean me!”

Koala was right. He couldn’t lie to save his life. Sabo made a mental note to ask her for some tips next time.

“Don’t I?” The smile plastered to Ace’s face was disturbing. “Then just answer me this ‒what’s up with Rabbit?”

“Shouldn’t you know that? You’re the one that got expelled from his own apartment.”

“Then why are you red all over?”

“It’s the heat. Yes, that is what it is.”

‘ _Dear God, spare me some mercy_.’

Right when Sabo was contemplating his life choices, Ace swung the bottle towards his brother. If the little shit didn’t want to collaborate, then fine, he would do it the hard way. Ever since he had mentioned Rabbit for the first time that afternoon, Sabo had been acting very strangely. And Ace knew very well that he was hiding something ‒something that he desperately wanted to know, at all costs. So, if a little bit of violence needed to be used in order to achieve that goal, then so be it.

The blond took the blow to his left shoulder, staggering back from the force of it and effectively knocking himself down when his legs made contact with the couch’s armrest. With a surprised yelp Sabo tumbled to the floor, ass first. For a moment, both brothers looked at each other, flabbergasted by the unexpected outcome.

“Woops, sorry. Are you al‒”

But Sabo didn’t want to hear Ace’s half-assed apology. “You’re _so_ in”, he gritted out, eyes shining menacingly.

Soon, Sabo and Luffy’s apartment had turned into a battlefield. No room was spared in the brotherly quarrel ‒not even the bathroom, for the brunet thought it a good idea to smear toothpaste all over his opponent’s face. The paste had upset Sabo’s eyes, making them ‘sting like a motherfucker, Ace, God!’ and then the young man had proceeded to break the tap in his haste to take it off.

The showdown took place in the living-room, however. They were facing each other, bodies tense and at the ready. At some point Ace had lost his shirt, but the bottle had never left his grasp. Sabo, on his part, looked more that just a little bit dishevelled, eyes puffy and red, but fairly intimidating ‒thanks to the towel-rack he was now using as a baseball bat to fend against the fiend.

“Surrender now and I’ll be merciful.”

“Merciful!?”, shouted Ace, enraged. “You sure weren’t when you pinched my nipple back there.”

“You bit me first!”

“Well, you almost took out my eye, asshole! And nipples aren’t fair play. You fight like a damn girl!”

“Oh, I’ll show you who’s the girl, you‒”

They both were suddenly interrupted by a loud popping sound coming from the kitchen. Then everything fell silent. Sharing a worried look, they were both reluctant to lower their weapons.

“What was that?” Asked Sabo, taking a look around, but unmoving.

“Don’t know. Maybe Luffy’s home?”

“And didn’t join in in the fight? I don’t…” The blond trailed off then, gaze fixed on the bottle of cola that Ace was holding. Its contents were once again liquid, and some perspiration could be seen on the surface. “Ace. Did you take the other bottle out of the freezer when you took that one?”

Without needing an answer, the two of them started running towards the kitchen.

The freezer’s door was hanging from just one hinge, half opened and with a little bump in the middle. Everywhere on the floor were splatters of half‒frozen cola, and Sabo almost slid across the kitchen because of it.

None of them had the time to say anything about it, though. From the bathroom came another worrying sound, and the brothers soon ran to see what had happened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Sabo wished nothing more than that to be a joke, but luck was not on his side that time, apparently. A steady jet of water was coming out of the broken tap, and it had already overflowed the sink and was creating a pool on the bathroom’s tiled floor.

“Hey, can you smell that?”

“Crap! Don’t tell me we forgot to take out the pizzas from the oven, too!”

Sure enough, a dark trail of smoke started to rise from the kitchen and invaded the living-room.

“Call Marco, quick! Or Thatch, Rabbit, whomever, but do it!”

“We should call the firefighters first, moron!”

“What if we let the water from the bathroom put it off?”

“You’re not setting foot in my house _ever_ again!”

.

∞

.

When the sound of knocking on the front door finally echoed through the apartment, Rabbit almost run to it, tripping on her haste. The view of Marco on the threshold brought her both relief and anxiousness, but she tried not to let it show. With a smile, she invited him in.

Marco returned the gesture with a lopsided grin and came in, closing the door behind him. He was wearing one of his favourite shirts, deep purple and with the first few buttons undone. The colour really complimented him, making his blond hair and dark blue eyes that much more evident. She could see the beginning of the tattoo on his chest, done in a dark indigo shade. That, added to the light stubble on his face and the hooded eyes gave him a laid-back kind of look that she couldn’t help but find absolutely attractive, because Marco seemed nothing but comfortable in his own skin.

Part of her wondered if he was always going to cause such an effect on her, and quickly came to the conclusion that yes, obviously, because the way he made her go weak was not related to his tall, muscular frame, but rather to how he looked at her when there was no one else around. When it was just the two of them, and nothing else mattered nearly as much in the world.

“Everything alright ~yoi?”

What was she supposed to answer? No, because I don’t know if you’re going to break my heart in the next thirty seconds, but yes, because you’re standing right there and I have missed you so much?

“Don’t worry, bird boy, everything’s just fine”, was what she chose, instead. “What was that thing you wanted to talk about?”

“Right”, she could have slapped herself at the way the smirk fell from his mouth, being replaced by a small frown. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot, lately. About you ~yoi. And me.“

There was a sudden pause, and since she didn’t know what to say, she opted for gesturing towards the couch. They both sat down, albeit with some tension. Marco was close, so close, but she refrained from making any contact, and so did he.

“I’ve… been thinking a lot”, he repeated, sighing, “and yet it’s so difficult to put down into words how much you mean to me, and how wonderful these past weeks have been. All these years I’ve wanted nothing more than to see you happy, and I can promise you this is so true that there isn’t a better way to say it than to put it simply.”

It was legitimate to say that her heart broke a little at that. She might have known what was coming, but hell if those words didn’t make her the happiest woman on the planet. She absolutely couldn’t help the huge smile that parted her lips right then, and Marco wanted to swear out loud at that, because to him, she was positively _shining_.

He took her hand in his. It was so small, so soft, so delicate. He carefully drove his thumb across her knuckles ‒a barely-there touch, but full of meaning.

“I love you so much”, he said then, looking her straight in the eye, “that for me, your happiness comes first to being with you.”

 ** _That_**.

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Marco“, she said, loud and clear despite the tears that wanted to come out so desperately. This was the moment that would make everything count.

Marco listened expectantly, not at all having expected to be interrupted, and maybe a bit taken aback by her resolve.

She took a deep breath.

“I know I said things that made you upset, the other day. And I’m well aware that you have your doubts about us, just as I have mine.” She tried really hard not to wince at her own words. “But know this ‒I love you. I always have, in some way or another. And even through my fears and insecurities I can see the very thing that I have always wanted ‒and that’s to be with you.”

The man in front of her was left speechless. His blue eyes were, for once, fully opened, and pinned her down with a force. He was nervously searching her face, looking out for the tiniest gesture, the most insignificant expression that reassured him that, in fact, she was telling him _exactly_ what his heart had ‒oh, so desperately‒ yearned to hear.

“There are so, so many things I could tell you to convince you to stay with me. But, honestly, the only ones that seem to matter the most right now are these ‒Marco, I love you, and I want to be with you.”

She soon adverted her gaze to the side, suddenly feeling very open and exposed. She didn’t regret telling him ‒not a chance‒ but the aftermath of it all was the very thing she had been fearing.

A warm hand brought her face back to Marco, and from then on, he was the only thing she was able to focus on. Because he was smiling. Not the lazy, lopsided grin that graced his features whenever he was amused. Not even the little smirk that meant trouble for her when she had teased him a bit too much. It was an open, ear-to-ear, honest smile that had her in a trance. She couldn’t recall Marco smiling like that more than a handful of times in all the years they had known each other. And every single one of those times had been because something extraordinarily good had occurred.

In her opinion, it was magical.

And damn, if she didn’t manage to close her mouth shut in the next five seconds, he was going to think she was stupid for gawking like that.

“I swear, you’re too good to be real ~yoi.”

Marco didn’t have the courtesy to let her argue back, since he immediately lunged forward and kissed her with everything he had. Surprised, Rabbit took a few seconds to properly respond, but when she did, she could have sworn she was able to feel him smiling against her mouth.

“I don’t think I’ll ever know why you want to be with an old man like me ~yoi, but I’ll be damned ‒don’t you change your mind!”

Again, she wasn’t permitted to tell him that he was _not_ and old man, and many, many more things, because Marco was kissing her again, and the world around her went straight to hell. All inside her were electric currents and tickling bubbles. Marco’s hands were warm and deliciously rough against her skin, when they gripped and caressed and wound into her hair. It was as if the dam repressing their need for the other had finally cracked, and the river behind that useless wall was nothing but raging and devastating in a delectable way.

Marco just couldn’t stop smiling. When he had arrived there less than an hour ago, he had expected things to roll in the opposite direction. But he wasn’t an imbecile ‒there was no chance he was going to complain. Instead, he intended to make her _perfectly aware_ of how much she meant to him.

Smirking slyly, he got to work.

On her side, she could feel the moment Marco’s touches became mischievous. His mouth sucked at her lips and jaw, lips parting every now and then to leave room for his teeth. Still, he was being playful, teasing her with feathery touches and hushed whispers. Slowly, her body was being set on fire, and the blond knew this very well. Each time she chanced a peek to his face, his blue irises were trailed on her, studying her reactions. Part of her wanted to feel self-conscious at the attention, but the part that was in control at the moment told her to properly _fuck off_.

A slightly embarrassing squeak escaped her when Marco switched their bodies and made her straddle his lap. It was too easy to forget how strong he really was under so many layers of cool composure, but with his body pressed to hers so closely ‒gods, she was reminded, alright.

“You look so cocksure, Mr. Old Man. Aren’t you afraid your heart might give out?” She had wanted to appear nonchalant, but the shortage in her breath spoiled the effect. Marco, who noticed this, only smiled devilishly.

“Shall we test that, then? You’re the one that looks… unsteady ~yoi.”

Oh, she was so thankful for being seated, because his expression right then would have been enough to make her collapse into the floor. Anyway, she was sure her underwear had done just that.

They kissed again, and this time it was hungry ‒a little desperate, even. Pieces of clothing started to come out, one by one, until they all were scattered across the living-room. Soon, the sofa felt too small.

“I think we should take this to the bedroom”, she suggested, caressing down his shoulders. Marco had to supress a shiver.

“Isn’t your bed ridiculously tiny?”, he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Well, yes”, she admitted, but the flutter of her lashes and her little smile told him she had something else in mind. “But, you know, Ace’s bed is just big enough for two people, and he did break my laptop two days ago.”

Marco actually laughed out loud at that.

If he hadn’t been in love before, he certainly would have been then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took some time, but it's finally done.  
> Love your siblings, kids.


	6. The one with the unexpected confessions

The first thing she noticed when waking up was the warm morning light seeping through the window on the far wall. It was a nice feeling, being awoken naturally by the sun, but not too aggressively. Her mind was still in a dazed state, slowly coming back to life by nuzzling into the fluffy pillows and lazily moving her limbs about. A deep, contented sigh left her lips then, eyes still closed in bliss.

She was wondering about the little pleasures in life, like a late morning in bed, when a rustling sound to her right snapped her out of the trance she had been in. Eyes now open wide, she came to face with a broad, tattooed chest moving gently with a steady breathing. Marco was still asleep, laying there by her side with an expression of utter relaxation. He looked so much younger like that, with an unwrinkled brow and the corners of his lips describing a gentle, non-forced curve. But then again, he wasn’t _that_ old ‒he just liked to act like he was, maybe for the sake of his family.

Shamelessly taking advantage of the fact that he was out cold, she let her fingers delicately trace invisible patterns over his skin, passing over the cross-shaped tattoo on his upper torso. It was a thing some of the boys shared. Ace had a huge replica over his back, and he liked to proudly flaunt it by getting undressed from the waist up every time he could. Thatch had one, too, in a much smaller size ‒his, however, was easier to conceal from view. She had never gotten to actually see Izō’s, but she knew for a fact that the most reserved brother had craved in to Thatch’s pleading and gotten himself one as well. She, Sabo and Luffy were the only ones that had declined the idea.

In all the years she had been pining for the man that was now right in front of her, Rabbit could have only dreamed about a moment like this, with Marco in her bed ‒well, _technically_ Ace’s‒ , being so close that she could practically drown in his cologne. An intense feeling of deep, unrestrained love suddenly washed over her, and she surged forward to plant a chaste kiss over his heart. Only that, as soon as her lips made contact with his skin, a pair of warm, strong arms came to encircle her form and pushed her in, tightly.

“Good morning ~yoi”, came Marco’s raspy voice, signalling he had just about woken up.

She looked up at him as well as she could, being as she was pressed against the man’s chest, and beamed a sleepy smile.

“Morning, handsome.” She smirked then, fixing her gaze on his blond locks. “Your hair is so messed-up! It looks like a pineapple.”

Marco rolled his eyes at that, but the tiny smile that came over him was a little victory to her.

“Isn’t it a bit early in the day for the teasing?”

“It’s not that early, Marco. You slept in.”

“The same could be said about you ~yoi. Let me just check the time and then I’ll show you how adults properly tease each other.”

Was it wrong to admit she got extremely flushed by hearing him say that with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes? Oh, well.

But the naughty path her thoughts had taken was then shattered by the way Marco’s eyes widened in alarm when he checked his phone.

“Seventeen missed calls? What in the ever-loving‒”

Rabbit sauntered over her own mobile then.

“Fuck, Ace called me las night, too. About ten times. And Sabo texted, something about ‒ _a fire_!?”

“I have to call Thatch”, Marco said, getting out of bed, the tone dial already ringing.

She could hear his voice from the corridor while he talked to the cook, first hurriedly, and then with a relieved tone. She used that time to text both Ace and Sabo, getting dressed while she waited for a reply.

**Don’t worry, everything’s fine. Just a little scare. Sorry to have worried you :P**

Said Sabo’s text. Ace’s, on the other hand…

**Yeah, I’m alive. Not thanks 2 u tho**

Rabbit sighed, feeling more than a tad guilty. It was true that it had been, in part, her fault. After all, she had been the one to kick the brunet out of the house for the night, and then she had been too… _preoccupied_ to answer his distress calls. She was being a shitty sister, so she guessed she deserved the cold shoulder.

**Sabo and Luffy say I’m bein’ bitchy**

**Sorry 4 the trouble sis**

**& thanks 4 checkin’ on us**

She smiled to herself. She was going to make sure Ace got that new game he had been talking non-stop for weeks, dammit. And it certainly was not because she was feeling rather sensitive that morning. It was just a coincidence that all the men in her life seemed set on making her cry from happiness.

“Thatch says there was a fire at Sabo’s last night, but that everything’s under control now. I swear, those two‒ What’s wrong?” Marco, having just ended the call, had entered the bedroom again.

“Nothing”, she said, and even though there were unshed tears in her eyes, she seemed truly happy right then. “Shall we go have some breakfast?”

Marco’s heart ached, but it was in a good way.

“Whatever you want ~yoi. Although it’ll have to be more along the lines of ‘lunch’, I’m afraid.”

.

∞

.

A month had passed since the last time Edward Newgate had held the last family-gathering at his own home. He had needed to leave for a two-week business trip, and although he had told his sons and daughter to meet even if he was away, they had politely refused, arguing that it just wouldn’t be the same without him. Now, Whitebeard was a tough man, but he would have been lying if he were to say that his children’s consideration hadn’t struck a chord in his old, weathered heart.

And so, a reunion was long overdue. They all would be able to make it this time, so Whitebeard was extremely happy. Lazily seated on his favourite chair, bourbon swirling in the glass he held in his right hand, and watching his children being loud and feisty and careless ‒he didn’t think he had ever been more at peace with himself and the world. After all, everything he had ever wanted, his one true dream, had been to have a family of his own.

Looks like he had succeeded. If he were a lesser man, he would had even shed a tear or two.

At the time they were all waiting on the only family member left to show up ‒Luffy. He, apparently, had slept over at his friend’s place, and he wasn’t picking up the phone, which in itself wasn’t unusual at all. The real problem was that it was getting late, and so a certain pair of reckless young men were growing proportionally restless.

“Ace, stop filling your mouth with crisps, it’s going to ruin your appetite”, Thatch said, mildly unconvincing. He knew damn well that nothing he had to say would keep the brunet from his food.

“S Lffs fltf bin ayt.”

The rest of his brothers ‒and sister‒ sitting around in the living room looked at him with bafflement.

“Could someone translate?”

Sabo calmly took a sip from his drink. “’It’s Luffy’s fault for being late’, he said. And I couldn’t agree more, I’m starving myself here.”

Marco hummed. “By the way, Sabo, have you been taking classes lately ~yoi?”, he smiled tauntingly, looking straight at Ace across the room. “I didn’t know you could speak retard.”

The freckled man made an indignant sound, while Thatch choked on the wine he had been trying to drink but composed himself quickly, so his eyes didn’t miss the way Marco laid back on the couch and rested his right arm oh-so-casually behind Rabbit’s shoulders, barely touching her. It looked innocent enough, but his dirty mind couldn’t let something like that escape, and by the way Pops’ mouth curled under his big moustache, he had taken notice too.

Thatch was trying his fucking best not to say something about it. ‘Stay calm, sip on your wine, and talk about the weather’ had been his initial plan, but his wicked mouth seemed to want to make an appearance. For someone like him, it was torture to watch them sit so close, trying to pretend that nothing was going on under the surface, even though it was so obvious for the rest of the world. A hundred crass quips crossed his mind, but he refrained of saying any of them aloud. He was a man of will and commitment.

Izō’s mighty glare might have had something to do with his silence, too.

The family continued with the appetizer. They had so many things to tell each other ‒it had been a whole month since they had the chance to meet like that, after all. Thatch’s work was going great, his restaurant being one of the most luxurious in the city, and was planning a vacation to the Caribbean in a couple of months. Izō had finally found some inspiration and was currently designing a new line for the upcoming summer season, meant to be his best work to date. On the clinic, Marco was being promoted, as recognition for all the years he had been working there and for his good practices as a medical professional. Sabo and Ace were going to graduate soon, so they had to start thinking about their futures. The blond was considering a career in politics, which Koala supported with all her heart. And Ace was studying the possibility of becoming a firefighter, not totally unrelated to what had happened on Sabo’s apartment _that_ one time.

All in all, life was being good. The patriarch couldn’t be prouder, and his children were enjoying all the universe had to give.

Except for one little, tiny, minuscule detail.

“Do you want to tell them now ~yoi?”, Marco murmured in her ear.

She was a nervous wreck.

For as long as they had been sitting on that sofa, she had been able to play it cool. There was no pressure, just a nice get-together with the family. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, Marco included, so she really didn’t want to ruin it. Besides, what was she supposed to say? Just drop the bomb and run away? Maybe something like ‘Hey, Thatch, nice salad. By the way, Marco and I have been keeping our relationship a secret, but now you know. Does anyone want more wine?’.

She suppressed a shiver at the mere idea. No, that was _so_ _not_ the course of action she wanted to follow. But what to do, what to do…

Hesitantly, she looked up at Marco, sitting beside her. It was obvious how nervous she was just by looking at her face and the tension in her shoulders, but the blond said nothing and kept waiting for an answer. They had already discussed this ‒many times, in fact. The both of them had agreed that letting the family in on what was happening between them was the best for everyone. It wouldn’t be fair, keeping them in the dark just because they were insecure about their reaction. It didn’t suit well with any of them, lying to the people closest to their hearts.

But, even if the resolution was made, the pair knew it was going to be difficult, and Rabbit was particularly nervous about it. Nevertheless, she subtly nodded.

“We could wait for another time ~yoi, if you’re uncomfortable”, Marco said, in the tiniest voice he could manage. “But it’s never going to get easier, you know? Hell, I’m distressed myself, but think of this like pulling a band aid ‒a strong, quick pull will always hurt less.”

She fixed him with a half-assed glare, a little thrown off by the metaphor.

“Since when are you so poetically introspective?” she mocked, a bit of sass in her tone. But on the inside, she was pleasantly surprised at how well he had conveyed his state of mind with a terrible phrasing like that. The frown in her brown settled into a determined stance.

It was now or never.

“Guys”, she said aloud. Everyone in the room turned to her in an instant, mildly surprised at the sudden confidence in her voice. It was almost out of place in an outgoing family reunion like that, but fortunately no one commented on it. Taking a deep breath, she went on. “Marco and I have something to tell you.”

The way she chose to say it kind of gave it away, but she knew she had to say it loud and clear. She owed them that much ‒owed it to herself, too.

“We’re together. Have been for a while, actually.”

‘ _There you go’_ , she thought. And just like a band aid, it stung at first.

For a long, long time, no one said a thing. She felt the pressure growing in her, the embarrassment, knowing that everyone was looking at her with incredulity. The very thing she had been dreading since Marco and her had started out was unfolding before her own eyes. The rejection of her family. She felt like a traitor, like a‒

Warmth. There was a warmth enveloping one of her hands, and when she looked down, having lost her train of thought, she saw Marco’s fingers intertwined with her own. And, just like that, all the noise was gone from her head.

“That’s right ~yoi.” There he was, eyes looking down at her shining like pools, a soft smile gracing his features. “We _are_ together, and I have no intention of changing that.”

A gasp could be heard from where Thatch and Izō were sitting, both males’ eyes bulging out of their skulls and comically fixed on the pair’s tangled hands. They didn’t move for at least a whole minute. But it was neither of them that spoke next.

“Finally. I thought I was going to die of old age before this happened.”

The deep rasp of Pops’ voice rumbled in the silent living-room. With a long sigh, he finished his drink in a moment. But, when the empty glass met the coffee table with a loud _thump_ , the man let out his booming laughter. And that’s when it downed on her. That Whitebeard knew ‒had always known. That was why he had never approved of Law, even if he didn’t say it. That was why he had been the only one to remain silent whenever the others talked about the possibility of Ace and her ending up as a couple. Because he _knew_.

By her side, Marco sagged almost imperceptibly, but a quick glance told her it was form relief. The blond had let out a big breath she didn’t know he had been holding, but she guessed it was just natural. After all, the old man’s approval had always meant so much to him.

“Rabbit. Marco.”

It was Sabo’s turn to speak, apparently. But, contrary to his usual self, he was dead serious at the moment. He left his glass on the table, just like Pops had done, but with much more care. Then, he laid back on the couch and looked her dead in the eye.

“I have something to tell you about this. And you might not like it, but…” he trailed off, looking towards the side. He took a hand to his mouth, pondering what his next words should be. With a sigh, he went on. “I… kind of… saw you two… kissing… _Ireallydidn’tmeantoI’msosorry_ …”

“B-but…”, she stammered. That was absolutely not what she had been expecting. “But when?”

“In your room, the last time we were here. You had looked so upset that I went to check on you and…” Sabo didn’t finish his sentence, a very intense blush having conquered his face. He looked ready to faint any given moment.

It was the time Ace chose to intervene, though. He rose a very affronted forefinger and pointed it towards the blond, accusingly, food readily forgotten. “You knew! _That’s_ what you were hiding!”

“Ahem… Since we’re being honest, here…”

Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards Thatch. With a shit-eating grin, he proceeded to tell the tale of how, when the fire incident with Ace and Sabo had taken place, he had gone to her apartment to check on her, since she hadn’t answered her phone all day and Marco was nowhere to be found, a fact not as unrelated as it had seemed at first. When the cook had seen the messy living-room and heard the very explicit noises coming from down the hall, he had put two and two together, and proceeded to make a hasty retreat. Of course, the first thing he had done had been calling Izō to tell him.

“I always knew you were an old little pervert ~yoi, but to sneak on people like that…”

Thatch was quick to counterattack.

“Well, if you wanted to keep things like that a secret, _maybe_ lock the front door‒ Auch! What the hell was that for!?” He asked the male sitting next to him, but Izō seemed very nonchalant about having cuffed him in the head.

However, there was one person that was not partaking in the general giddiness of the situation.

“You…” The freckled young man seemed out of words in the face of the current development. That was it ‒the big secret he had been trying to unveil, the little lies, the nights he had spent out of his own home because Rabbit had kicked him out, the way that Marco evaded his questions about his comings and goings… And now it seemed every one of his brothers ‒even Pops!‒ had been in on it!? “You _traitors_!”

No one said a word when Ace stormed into the kitchen, out of sight but clearly upset with the whole situation. Marco and Rabbit exchanged worried glances. If there was one person they had expected to digest the news without much of a fuss, it had been the brunet. As it turns out, they had been very wrong.

Marco made his way to standing at the same time as Sabo, both ready to go confront their brother. However, she was faster.

“Let me”, she asked them, and went to find his brother and roommate.

Ace was with his back to her, resting his weight on the isle in the middle of the kitchen. His arms were crossed aver his chest, and the pout in his face would have been cute had the circumstances been any different.

“Hey”, she tried, voice soft, but Ace refused to look at her. “Are you… upset?”

“You bet I am.” He turned then, abruptly, and stared her down. He had been determined to be stubborn with her, not wanting to be swayed by her words. But the moment he saw her face falling he knew she had misinterpreted his meaning. She though he was upset with the fact that she and Marco were a couple. Ace swore under his breath, his temper having backfired on him, as per usual. “No, _you moron_. I’m upset neither of you told me. I mean, come on, I _know_ I’m your favourite brother!”

She looked at him then, and even though he wasn’t smiling, she knew the fight had left him entirely. He looked so much like when he was a grumpy kid, she couldn’t help a giggle from escaping her.

“You’re so cute when you’re mad”, she teased, but on the inside she was utterly happy. Giddy, even, seeing how her feet felt light and her chest was about to burst.

“ _Psh_ , whatever. I’m just glad my sis finally got laid. It was about time! You were getting cranky.”

She let out a puff when the male ruffled her hair, coming back to the easy-going, teasing Ace she knew and loved. A mischievous part of her wanted to let him know right then that it had been his bed they had slept in that one time, when he had been busy catching Sabo and Luffy’s apartment on fire, but she refrained. Barely.

When they returned to the living-room, engaging in a harmless banter, she noticed Marco animatedly discussing something with the patriarch. What caught her off guard, however, was the light pink that dusted his cheeks, for it was not a usual occurrence. Marco, blushing? Heavens. The day was full of surprises.

“It’s way too early to be talking about that, Pops.”

“Ha! I don’t think so. You’re not getting any younger, you know?”, Izō quipped, and Thatch burst out laughing at his side. A lone tear escaped his eye, but he didn’t stop until he was out of breath. She quietly wondered how much wine he had had in the last hour.

“Little Rabbit, there you are!” Witebeard beckoned her with a massive hand. “How many grandchildren are you planning to give me?”

“S-sorry?” She almost chocked on her own spit.

“I told you it was too sudden ~yoi.”

They had been discussing _children_!? Alright, maybe now that they knew about their relationship life was going to be a little more complicated for her. She had a strong feeling about it.

The front door busted open then, interrupting the festive ambience in the house for a brief moment. At least, until a head covered by a straw hat showed itself.

“Sorry, everyone! Zoro was going to give me a ride here, but he got lost!” Luffy was being as bubbly as ever, but his eyes were darting everywhere as if looking for something. When she realised it was probably food he was trying to find, she laughed heartily.

“Have I missed something?”, he asked, head cocked in a display of honest confusion.

Ace and Sabo jumped on him, almost tackling the younger brother to the ground, chiding him for being late. Amid a storm of taunts like ‘I’m starving because of you’ and ‘we should eat you instead’, Sabo suddenly lighted up and told him the news.

“Marco and Rabbit are a couple now!”

Luffy frowned at that, stopping to look at the mentioned pair with narrowed eyes. One could almost hear the clogs turning inside his head.

“Huh. They weren’t before?”

To say everyone was baffled would have been a ginormous understatement.

It was Izō, however, the one to put into words what all of them were thinking.

“I swear, this kid can be unsettlingly intuitive sometimes.”

Then, as it usually happened in the Newgate family, things got hectic rather quickly after that. Chants of ‘food, food!’ and unbound laughter soon filled every room in the house. The day outside was clear, and the celebration was prolonged well into the evening. Who could blame them, though? They were happy and had much to give thanks for. Especially her. Watching the males party like they had no care in the world, and feeling Marco’s strong presence by her side, she came to a pretty obvious conclusion.

She had the best family in the whole world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! This is the last chapter of the story. I sincerely hope this didn't disappoint, so let me know what you think of the way things unfolded!  
> I've had so much fun writing this. If you've had even half the fun I have, then it's been worth it.
> 
> See you soon, hopefully!


End file.
